Days Gone By

Saturday

Jun 7, 2014 at 12:04 PM

50 YEARS AGO

The following items were taken from May 31 through June 6, 1964, Examiner.

• Orlando P. Nace, who 48 years ago was instrumental in organizing the orchestra of the Walnut Park RLDS Church with seven members, was honored by the orchestra recently in observance of his 77th birthday. Nace, a violinist, has played with the orchestra since it was organized, the only church orchestra in Independence.

• The storied bell atop the First Christian Church will ring again thanks to the efforts of the Shrout twins, DeWitt and Charles, who cleaned the tower and fenced out the pigeons. The Shrout brothers, who are farmers, were accompanied by DeWitt’s son, Clint, in the cleanup.

• The prompt action of Fred Budd, 25-year-old milk route driver, who went to the aid of an injured women while on his route, was awarded the Louis Pasteur Bronze Medal. Budd, who lives at 606 S. Noland Road, was awarded the medal by the Pasteur Awards Committee of the Milk Industry Foundation at a Chamber of Commerce luncheon at Hotel Muehlebach.

The following items were taken from the May 31 through June 6, 1914, Examiner.

• A telephone message was received at the county jail that five of the county prisoners who have been working on roads west of this city in the neighborhood of Englewood had gotten away. When last seen they were running south on Scott Avenue. On receipt of the message, Jesse Allen, county jailer, and others jumped into an automobile and sped down West Maple Avenue followed by Deputy Constable Eddie Paxton at a speed that possibly violated every speed limit on earth and made everybody who saw them stop and gaze in wonder at what happened. The fugitives were said to be mostly white men.

• Frank K. Ferguson of Lee’s Summit was in Independence. He wore a long black coat and was dressed to match and was informed that he might be taken for a preacher or something else. Mr. Ferguson is a retired business man and was for years connected with a bank at Odessa.

• Thomas F. Todd of Kansas City, formerly of Independence, committed suicide in Detroit, Mich., in a most spectacular manner. He climbed out on the fire escape of the ninth floor of the Ford Building, and threw himself off. Todd was not known in Detroit, and for several hours the body lay in the county morgue before it was identified. Then Charles Meyers, who has charge of the insane observatory ward at the police station, said it was the body of a man who had applied to him for shelter. When Todd lived in Independence he gave the police much trouble.

• Grain Valley is soon to have a second bank. Articles of Association of the Grain Sni-a-Bar Banking Company were filed for record in Independence. The purpose is to establish a banking house in Grain Valley. James M. Hall, who was one of the organizers of the Bank of Grain Valley, and who was at the head of that institution until recently, will be president of the new bank. D.C. Herrington of this city will be cashier.